New study says people who stay up late could be more likely to die early

LONDON - Like to stay up late? That could mean you’re going to die early.

A new scientific study from the United Kingdom has found that night owls on average had a higher risk of early death than morning people.

The study was conducted over six-and-a-half years, and tracked the sleeping habits of nearly half a million people. They found that those who tended to stay up late were 10% more likely to have died during the course of the study than those who preferred to go to bed early and get up early--even though both groups reported getting roughly the same amount of sleep overall.

Night owls were also more prone to diabetes, psychological disorders, and neurological disorders.

The authors of the study believe it’s because many night owls who are wired for a different time-frame still have to live in a world designed for morning people. Therefore they might be doing things like working and eating at times that are not right for their bodies. 

The authors said that having bosses who allow workers to come in later could have positive effects for those who are naturally predisposed to staying up late. Of course, that’s probably not news for anyone whose best friend is their snooze button.